There’s no better place for a shining new hotel celebrating the storied history of Alexandria than Old Town. That’s the site of Hotel Indigo Old Town, Alexandria. The hotel’s opening was announced with pride by InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. The boutique hotel honors not only the location of Alexandria’s first public building, but the discovery of an old, scuttled ship as well.
There’s an interesting story behind the Hotel Indigo. During the hotel’s construction, the remnants of an 18th century ship were excavated by Thunderbird Archaeology in coordination with Alexandria Archaeology. The ship’s timbers were preserved for further historical study.
It’s a characteristic of every Hotel Indigo property that it reflects the history and feeling of the neighborhood in which it is built. The Hotel Indigo Alexandria, located a mere 4.5 miles from Ronald Reagan National Airport, was built around the fact that Alexandria used to be a vital seaport. A press release says that the hotel’s designers were also inspired by Alexandria’s status as the birthplace of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Gerald R. Ford and the Union Army headquarters. The result is a “modern, approachable” combination of marine, colonial, and warehouse motifs.
Examples of this theme are seen in the lobby, where area rugs are inspired by “colonial floral prints and quilts” and a horizon sky feature gives one the inimitable feeling of being at sea. According to LocalKicks.com, “Another nod to the region’s nautical roots, the courtyard includes a statue by local sculptor Chris Erney — inspired by 1920s photos of a Potomac fisherman found in the Library of Congress archive — and a demarcation of the Potomac River’s original shoreline. Guestrooms have a loft-like, warehouse-inspired feel and feature sail murals with linen-like textures that channel the material of a real ship’s sail.”
The hotel boasts 43 rooms that face the waterfront, 67 that face the city, and 10 that face the patio. Every guest bathroom is spa-inspired, and comes with complimentary Aveda toiletries. The on-site restaurant, Hummingbird Bar & Kitchen, is Chef Cathal Armstrong’s newest eatery. As per the press release, the menu “will focus on locally sourced, seafood-centric and seasonal ingredients in dishes like a surf & turf burger, lobster lemon linguini and brick chicken.” It will be open for all three meals of the day every day, as well as Sunday brunch. There will be an outdoor raw bar and a “classic” menu of cocktails.
The Hotel Indigo is sure to be an exciting - and beautiful - addition to Alexandria’s Old Town!
